In modern transport and shipping networks, freight is shipped with relative efficiency between major ports, stations, or hubs using ships, airplanes, trains, trucks, or other vehicles of mass transport. This efficiency typically ends or is greatly reduced when goods reach their final port, station, or hub, where they need to be transported to their final destination. The last leg of delivery, frequently referred as the “last mile,” is typically the most inefficient part of the journey, incurring by some estimates twenty-eight percent of the total shipping costs. This relative inefficiency is often referred to as the “last mile problem.” The last mile problem exists not only in freight networks, but also in telecommunication, utility, and public transportation networks.
In freight networks, the last mile may be fraught with challenges not only in terms of delivering goods, but also ensuring that goods are delivered in a way that limits risk and/or cost to a retailer and/or shipping company. For example, if goods are left on a customer's doorstep but are stolen or damaged prior to retrieval by the customer, a retailer may be responsible to replace the goods, or have a policy to replace the goods to maintain customer relations. This may incur significant costs to the retailer. For this reason, some retailers may require a customer signature or other verification to indicate that a customer has taken possession of delivered goods, particularly for expensive or fragile items. Unfortunately, such a requirement may dramatically increase shipping costs. If a customer is not available to receive goods or provide a signature when a delivery agent arrives at his or her doorstep, the delivery agent may need to return one or more additional times to reattempt delivery. Statistics show that a high percentage of goods on delivery trucks are goods that were not successfully delivered on the initial try.
In view of the foregoing, what are needed are systems and methods to more efficiently deliver goods to recipients. In particular, systems and methods are needed to efficiently deliver goods to recipients even when recipients are unavailable to receive delivery. To facilitate such delivery, systems and methods are needed to efficiently administer access codes to enable delivery agents and other authorized users to access enclosures such as garages or reception boxes. Further needed are systems and methods to ensure that such access codes are administered in a safe and secure manner. Yet further needed are systems and methods to prevent unauthorized access to enclosures.